2026 NFL Draft Grades: Cleveland Browns

The Browns came into Thursday with two first-round picks (thanks to last year's trade with the Jaguars so Jacksonville could go up to No. 2 for Travis Hunter) and two big needs. Would they go receiver at No. 6 and offensive tackle at No. 24? OT at No. 6 and WR at No. 24? Or would they completely shake things up and entertain a trade?

They ended up going OT-WR ... and then hitting both positions again on Day 2. The Spencer Fano and Austin Barber picks could be the final touches on a complete offensive line rebuild this offseason. The Browns had 14 different offensive line combinations play at least 10 snaps last season, third most in the NFL. Then ... everyone was gone. Wyatt Teller signed with Houston, and Cam Robinson, Jack Conklin, Joel Bitonio and Ethan Pocic are all still unsigned. In their place, Cleveland traded for Tytus Howard, re-signed Teven Jenkins and brought in Elgton Jenkins and Zion Johnson, in addition to getting Dawand Jones back from a knee injury.

But this team needed a left tackle, and Fano could be a solution. He has spent the past two seasons on the right side, but he was a LT in 2023. He stays square to pass rushers and has pop in his hands, but 32⅛-inch arms might ultimately force a move inside. I love that Cleveland was able to trade back, add picks and still get one of the top two tackles in the class. Barber made the opposite change, going from the right side to the left during his college career. He's a great run blocker, but he gets beaten by power a lot in pass protection at 6-foot-7 and 318 pounds. I thought there were better options out there, and Cleveland having to trade up to get him made this pick a little questionable.

At receiver, the Browns landed two of my top eight guys in the class. I have concerns about KC Concepcion's drop issues (seven last season), but he has a nose for the end zone (25 career TDs) and averaged 15.1 yards per catch last season. I said Denzel Boston would have been the right pick in Round 1 ... and Cleveland got him in Round 2. Even though I would have flipped these two players value-wise, the Browns ended up with two really talented pass catchers. That's critical. The Browns' WR room was at the bottom of the NFL in receptions (117), yards (1,467) and TDs (four) last season. Boston takes defenders out of the play with his 6-4 frame and routinely makes tough catches on balls thrown too high or too low. Like Concepcion, he had a healthy YPC in 2025 at 14.2, and he scored 20 touchdowns over the past two seasons.

The major defensive addition was Emmanuel McNeil-Warren. Just sheer value -- my No. 33 prospect at No. 58. Take him out of Toledo and put him in a Power 4 uniform and maybe he goes a little earlier. But I'm not worried about the quality of competition. He flies to the football and generates turnovers (10 forced fumbles, five interceptions).

Among the Day 3 picks, Parker Brailsford and Taylen Green stand out. Brailsford is yet another option for the offensive line, with more than 2,400 snaps at center over his career. And while the Browns don't need any more quarterbacks quantity-wise, Green is an explosive player who ran a 4.36 and jumped 43½ inches in the vertical jump at the combine. He needs to work on his accuracy, but he has a big arm and a lot of attributes.

The Browns received an A-plus from me last year, and the class lived up to expectations. Carson Schwesinger was Defensive Rookie of the Year, and Quinshon Judkins and Harold Fannin Jr. were the main catalysts of the offense, but all seven picks chipped in at some point during Year 1. I don't know that Cleveland's 2026 group of draft picks will have the same impact, but this is another good group which should have Week 1 roles. Another good draft weekend for the Browns.

The pre-draft perception — for whatever that's ever worth — was that the Browns couldn't wait long to get more needed bodies for both the offensive line and the receiver room. Yet GM Andrew Berry, who seemingly hit last year's draft out of the park, seemed to agree, getting two blockers and two WRs among this first five selections (the fifth guy in that cluster being second-round S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, whom Berry aggressively moved up to rescue at No. 58). But first-round OL Spencer Fano, first-round WR KC Concepcion (obtained thanks to last year's Travis Hunter deal) and second-round WR Denzel Boston all project as immediate starters for a team that seems similar to the Jets in some respects — amassing talent while determining who the franchise QB is (unless sixth-rounder Taylen Green proves Brady-esque, which he certainly isn't physically given his size-speed quotient) — though Cleveland's rebuild seems well ahead of New York's. Your move, Shedeur.

Best Pick: Third-round safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren is a big-body player who can do a lot of things. They got great value taking him in the third.

Worst Pick: After taking offensive lineman Spencer Fano in the first, I didn't like Austin Barber in the third since he will be a swing tackle.

The Skinny: The Browns have now had two good drafts in a row. This one impressed me. By getting Fano and receiver KC Concepcion in the first, followed by adding a bunch of other good players, the Browns are set up to take a quarterback next year.

Long-suffering Browns fans, it appears that logic has finally descended upon Cleveland with the club stringing together one of their better collections of talent in my 26 years of professionally evaluating NFL drafts.

The Browns needed a left tackle and got the most athletic one in Spencer Fano at No. 6 overall, followed by a pair of promising WR selections. The combination of KC Concepcion's elusiveness and straight-line speed alongside Denzel Boston's size and body control give Cleveland its first truly formidable receiving corps in a decade or more, perhaps providing the quarterbacks on the roster (or one coming next year) a true chance at success.

Rangy free safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren's draft-day slide ended with a soft landing in Cleveland, where the Browns' stellar pass rush should help him keep up his playmaking ways.

The quarterback room in Cleveland is already full, but I'm as intrigued as anyone by Taylen Green's upside and understand the roll of the dice in the sixth round.

The Browns went into this draft with a clear mission: get more athletic on the offensive line and significantly upgrade their pass catcher group. It's safe to say they accomplished that.

I'm a believer that Spencer Fano can play tackle at a pretty high level despite his limited length. Concepcion and Boston should complement each other well, with the former being a short and intermediate separator while Boston gives them a contested catch threat. It's a bonus that he's a very good perimeter blocker.

Emmanuel McNeil-Warren is a colossal safety that forces fumbles and makes middle-of-the-field targets pay with big hits. He played everywhere in Toledo's defense.

The two day three picks that stood out to me for value were Justin Jefferson and Carsen Ryan. Jefferson is undersized, but he has excellent sideline range and can thrive on special teams coverage units.

I was perplexed how underappreciated Carsen Ryan was in this process, starting with him not being invited to the combine. He consistently got open, was productive and is a high effort blocker. The Browns now have three legit pass-catching tight ends in him, Harold Fannin and Joe Royer.

Here's why: This was a really strong draft for Cleveland in the first year of the Todd Monken-Andrew Berry partnership. Trading down and selecting Utah offensive lineman Spencer Fano was a shrewd move, and then they used their second first-round pick on Texas A&M wide receiver KC Concepcion. Fano can play multiple spots along the offensive line (potentially even left tackle) and Concepcion brings an element of speed and playmaker ability to one of the worst offenses in the league last year. Doubling up at wide receiver with the selection of Denzel Boston made a lot of sense as well. They also did well grabbing Florida offensive tackle Austin Barber and Alabama center Parker Brailsford to develop later on in the draft.

Most interesting pick: Austin Barber, OT, Florida

Barber is a good athlete who has traits to develop as the Browns continue rebuilding their offensive line. If this wasn't such a strong class of offensive tackles, he probably could've gone a bit earlier, but here he has a chance to push for playing time right away on a team that has beatable veterans in entrenched positions.

The Browns were one of the biggest winners of this entire draft, scooping up value every time I looked up. I loved what they did in the first round, trading back a few spots with the Chiefs before landing a tough, athletic offensive tackle in Utah's Spencer Fano. Fano helps address a big need for the team and gives them flexibility up front, with experience at both left and right tackle. GM Andrew Berry then turned to the receiver position with his next two picks, nabbing my 14th-ranked player in KC Concepcion at no. 24 overall before landing my 19th-ranked player in Denzel Boston at no. 39 overall. Cleveland later moved up early in the second round to the 58th overall pick to secure my 25th-ranked player in safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren. The combination of deft maneuvering and overall value gained makes this a potential home-run class for Cleveland.

Analysis: The Browns made four of the top 60 picks and went offense with the first three of them. Cleveland added a pair of receivers in Concepcion and Boston to join Jerry Jeudy and tight end Harold Fannin Jr. as pass-catching options, something that was sorely needed. General manager Andrew Berry also took Fano to continue the rebuild up front, which includes the acquisitions of tackle Tytus Howard and center Elgton Jenkins. Barber is another piece who could be a swing tackle early on, while McNeil-Warren was a value pick for the secondary.